The defense (Florida) in Citizens for Strong Schools argues that districts have enough money or can get enough through discretionary millage assessment on property taxes. The problem they assert, is mismanagement and a reordering of priorities. Do they have a point? You can check out this claim in your local districts. We are looking into budget priorities in Alachua County. We have also looked at the state audits of the district in past years. The hard choices they suggest are destructive choices. They can rob the programs that the State brags about to help improve conditions for at risk kids. Some choices are just bad choices.
Category Archives: Florida
State Tried to Get Case Dismissed Today
The plaintiff completed its case today. The State’s attorneys said that the plantiff really had no case, and argued that the case should be dismissed. The judge did not agree. Calls for dismissal may be standard procedure in such trials, but it is a good way to not only see what the defense will argue and but also gives glimpses into what the judge is concerned about.
Tax Credit Voucher Appeal Set May 10
In spite of the mass rally by private school advocates in Tallahassee last January, the Florida Education Association and the League of Women Voters will have their day in court. The First District Court of Appeals will hear the case on May 10th.
Some arguments may include the following:
Kindergarten Teacher Confronts DOE Attorney
I loved the line in this Capital News story about the public education trial going on in Tallahassee right now. Susan Bowles was asked by the defense attorney if she had enough books in her classroom. She answered: “Yes, and guess who paid for them.”
Model Legislation for School Reform: Bush Style
Want to know where much of the school reform legislation comes from? Go to the Excellence in Education Foundation website. The foundation was created by former Florida governor Jeb Bush in 2007-8. It is run by a former Bush deputy chief of staff, Patricia Levesque, whose husband is Florida Senate Counsel. You can see model legislation that the foundation develops and also assists legislators who plan to introduce it. Maybe you can, if you register.
Why Scott Should Veto Education Train Bill
The Tampa Bay Times has education writers who use their critical thinking and problem solving skills. They provide four reasons why Governor Scott should veto the education bill HB 7029:
Defending Public Education In Court
Kathleen Oropeza, co-founder of Fund Education Now reports about the trial underway in Tallahassee.
She provides context for the complaints against the Florida Legislature, governor, and state Department of Education. Funding, for example, is now only about $50 more than in 2007.
Education Bills Passed in 2016
Some of you have interest in particular education legislation. Here is a list of what was passed in the 2016. The school choice and principal autonomy bills passed. I have not reviewed all of the others, but if you would like to see one, just google it e.g. “SB 0012 Florida 2016.”
The topics are varied and include health, mental health, social problems, students with disabilities, Bright Futures and transportation. Some funding bills passed as well. Nice that so many of the really destructive bills did not make it.
Public Schools With Community Support Can Solve Problems
Some problems that seem too big to solve, may get better when communities work together.
In 2012, the Gainesville Police Department uncovered some disturbing facts, black youth were four times more likely to be referred to the juvenile justice system than white youth for similar offenses. GPD developed:
- alternatives to arrests with the help of Meridian Behavioral Services and the Corner Drug Store.
- options other than arrest for officers and supervisors to use.
- demanded Civil Citations rather than arrests for first time misdemeanor offenses
In order to intervene early before bad behavior becomes chronic, GPD:
- engaged in officer training
- coordinated meetings to improve mental health services delivered to students and schools
- developed a System of Care to provide resources to families (mental health, outreach, tutoring etc.)
- tracked progress through data collection
The Center for Children’s Law and Policy gave GPD a grant (only one of two awarded in 2012); the initiative grew and arrests plummeted. On campus arrests dropped 31%. Total black juvenile arrests decreased 44%. Teen courts were used for many offenses.
Dozens of agencies had stepped up. Then the program had to be institutionalized to ensure it would continue. Alachua County Schools stepped up. The System of Care began in seven schools–4 elementary and 3 middle. Ten percent of the students with serious disciplinary problems were identified. Fifty-three parents agreed to participate. Each school had a social worker to coordinate care. After only eight months, some children are thriving. Others are making progress.
Now the challenge is to scale up the program to serve more families. The League held a Hot Topic last week to help spread the word. We learned about ways communities can work together to help children with traumatic life events find ways to cope. The school is the center of a community hub. Bringing services in to the center may be a more efficient and effective way to help children. Helping some children helps all children feel safe and secure. In the long run, suspending children leads nowhere good.
SLC Update: The Strategies Emerge
Districts state that budgets are inadequate to meet all student needs. Children in poverty and the high rate of homelessness require more funding to provide tutoring, time and behavioral support. However, the defense argues: